Find somewhere else to park

On Thursday, March 15, the parking lot on the corner of Route 47 and Shannon Street in downtown Elburn will be closed to public parking

by Lynn Meredith
ELBURN—At midnight on March 15, drivers will have to find somewhere else to park other than the parking lot on the corner of Route 47 and Shannon Street in downtown Elburn. That lot, owned by the Elburn Community Congregational Church (ECCC) across the street, has decided to restrict parking to the general public, due to concerns about being able to maintain the lot properly.

“Due to the economy and our dwindling resources for maintenance, we regret we can no longer keep it open,” Church Moderator Sharon Lackey said in a press release. “Rather than have the parking lot become a liability, the Church is currently offering it for sale.”

ECCC sent letters to the village of Elburn and the Elburn Chamber of Commerce to see if either was interested in purchasing the lot. Village President Dave Anderson said that the village does not have the funds to buy the property. He said that drivers will use other lots, such as village-owned lots by the fire barn or those behind Ream’s.

The church bought the corner lot about 15 years ago, and church volunteers have kept up the maintenance, plowing the snow in winter and gardening flower plots in summer. Slow drainage has made the lot icy in the cold winter months.

“I think it might have been a mistake to buy the parking lot in the first place. We bought that lot and paid it off over time, but we’re a smaller church now. We don’t need it for our parking anymore,” Lackey said. “In tough times, you have to prioritize, and providing parking is pretty far down on our list of priorities. We would like to free up the resources in that land, so we can serve the community in other ways.”

Towing signs will be posted and enforced when the lot closes to the public.